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Home » Beauty & MakeUp » Hair Removal 101: The Pros and Cons to Different Hair Removal Methods

15 AUG

Hair Removal 101: The Pros and Cons to Different Hair Removal Methods

There are plenty of ways to remove your body hair. You can shave it off, you can get it waxed, you can even go for long-lasting laser hair removal! However, the big question is, which one’s the best for me? Let’s explore the popular options and break down hair removal once and for all.

Pros and Cons to Different Hair Removal Methods

PROS AND CONS OF SHAVING

Pros of Shaving

Shaving is quick, easy, and mostly painless, assuming you know what you’re doing and you’re using sharp razors. Plus, there are many types of razors out in the world and they’re fairly inexpensive. If you decide to wear a dress to work the next day, it should be pretty easy pull it off at home. Obviously, if you’re in a rush, shaving would be your best option. And if you need to shave on the go, they’re disposable too. No upkeep required.

Cons of Shaving

If you do not exfoliate your skin regularly, you likely have ingrown hair. That makes it more difficult to shave. When you shave, especially without using a moisturizer of some sort whether it be regular shaving gel, cream or regular shampoo conditioner (yes, this is a thing), your skin can get irritated and it can get ingrown hair. Another unfortunate reality with shaving is that it doesn’t remove hair at the root, which means you’ll have to trim hair fairly often. Shaving is for the patient and those who like routine, and if this isn’t you, look at one of the other options below.

PROS AND CONS OF WAXING

Pros of Waxing

Waxing is quicker than shaving, affordable, and is easily accessible, whether you visit an esthetician or try to do the wax yourself. Unlike shaving, waxing will completely uproot the hair, so the hair will grow back slowly. Because your hair is being ripped from the roots, your hair follicles will receive damage, which sounds bad, but it actually means that the hair growth will be reduced overall. Waxing also prevents ingrown hair and is more precise when compared to shaving. It’s a great idea right before weekend trips where you won’t have the patience to shave.

Cons of Waxing

Now, for cons. Note that when talking about the pros to waxing, pain wasn’t mentioned. Beauty is pain, and waxing can be painful. Think of repeatedly ripping a fresh bandage off your skin and taking some hair in the process. That’s what waxing is about. If done improperly, waxing can lead to discoloration, burns, and irritation. Another downside is that you have to wait for your hair to grow back to much more extreme levels before you need to get a wax.

PROS AND CONS OF EPILATING

Pros of Epilating

Like waxing, epilating is fast and is precise. It will rip your hair right from its root and encourage slower growth each time it is used. Not to mention, if you own an epilator, then you won’t need to worry about buying any other hair removal products.

Cons of Epilating

Epilators, while very useful, can be pretty pricey and they aren’t sold everywhere like wax and razors are. An epilator is a product that holds multiple rotating tweezers, so you’re essentially hardcore tweezing your body. It isn’t like waxing, where you get rid of your hair in one go. You have to deal with the stinging sensation of the tweezers pulling your hair from your skin multiple times at a fast rate. It’s painful, especially the first time. Try it on a patch of hair before going all the way with this.

PROS AND CONS OF LASER HAIR REMOVAL

Pros of Laser Hair Removal

This procedure, while not permanent, can greatly reduce hair growth to the point where you can completely skip shaving. Additionally, it isn’t as painful as waxing and epilating. It also lasts a while too before your hair grows back, so that’s a plus.

Cons of Laser Hair Removal

Unfortunately, laser hair removal is incredibly expensive, with prices that range anywhere from $200 to over $1000. The procedure also occurs over numerous sessions and takes a lot of time to be done right. Another risk to laser hair removal that if an inexperienced technician performs the procedure, you could possibly receive burns and scarring from it. Might not be worth the hair removal at that rate.

PROS AND CONS OF THREADING

Image Source: Purespauk.com

Pros of Threading

Threading is fast, as it can take anywhere from five to 15 minutes. It lasts a lot longer than shaving, and it results in body hair growing back finer. And, contrary to popular belief, threading doesn’t leave redness or irritation.

Cons of Treading

The main disadvantage with threading is that it is more painful than waxing.

PROS AND CONS OF CHEMICAL DEPILATORY

Image Source: livestrong.com

Pros of Chemical Depilatory

Like most of the other methods, chemical depilatories are easily accessible, inexpensive, and they’re quick. They’re also very easy to use, so unless you don’t like to read the instructions on the back of the box, it’s unlikely that you’ll mess up.

Cons of Chemical Depilatory

This method is messier than all the others because you’re applying hair removal cream on your skin and then wiping it off. That being said, another downside is that you’re working with chemicals that will remove your hair. It’s important to reiterate this here (again): remember to conduct patch tests! Especially with chemical depilatories, as they can leave your skin irritated, red, and very sensitive. They also do not remove your hair from its root, so it will grow back at a fairly normal rate. You’ve been warned.